This week, Bert Church High School in Airdrie recognized the success of students for their involvement in things that don't include standard school activities like math, science and language arts.
The school held its extra-curricular awards ceremony. Bert Church Athletic Director Mike Sera says the awards go way past just recognizing student-athletes. "It's an opportunity for us to recognize those individuals who are involved, not only in sports but also our drama program, our music program and we also recognized, for the first time this year, our unified athletes," says Sera.
Bert Church has become highly involved in unified sports which pairs students with intellectual disabilities with student partners. The school sent four athletes and two teachers to represent Alberta at the Special Olympics Ontario Invitational International Youth Games where they brought back a bronze medal in bocce. Sera says the unified sports program has done wonders for school spirit at Bert Church. "These individuals are awesome for our school," explains Sera. "It's been great for our school atmosphere and spirit because our student body has just engulfed these kids and they just feel like one of the guys in the crowd. It's awesome!"
Sera says he believes it's great that the Bert Church extra-curricular awards are handed out for more than just student sports.
"In our school, we've got a great band program, we've got a great band teacher. They actually just got back from their Seattle trip. It was an awesome experience for them, there's still a lot of buzz about it. You talk to those kids and they're still excited about it. Then we've got Kevin Goodyear who heads out drama program. I mean he's got those kids just enthusiastic about acting and performing. They run some phenomenal activities, plays. Those are extra-curricular and things our students put in a lot of time outside of school time so it's great to recognize them and have them put on that level as well."
The school also took time to recognize four parents who have contributed a lot of time to programs at Bert Church. Jon Pierce, Trevor Remus, Dawn Sorsdahl and Joel Bancroft were singled out.
Here is a list of the award winners.
Golf MVP Taylor Foord
Football
MVP Dylan Sorsdahl
MVP - Offense Tristan Remus-Arevalo
MVP - Defense Tyler Ruck
Rookie of the Year: Josh Christman
Senior Boys Volleyball MVP Paxton DeGroot
Rookie of the Year Connor Grant
Senior Girls Volleyball MVP Andorra Pitcher
Rookie of the Year Shanessa Lehr
Junior Boys Volleyball MVP Cole Kennedy
Most Improved Player Austin Weihmann
Junior Girls Volleyball MVP Tatum Holwegner
Most Improved Player Teija White
Senior Boys Basketball MVP Jonah Morgan
Rookie of the Year Rowan Seerup
Senior Girls Basketball MVP Jocelyn Pierce
Rookie of the Year Samra Sales
Junior Boys Basketball MVP Simeon Morgan
Most Improved Player Josh Christman
Junior Girls Basketball MVP Avery McNeil
Most Improved Player Tianna Headley
Badminton MVP Luther Schmiedge
Curling MVP Kyle Middleditch
Track & Field Top Male Athlete Cameron Young
Top Female Athlete Princess Roberts
Girls Soccer MVP Tianna Headley
Rookie of the Year Hannah Jensen
Boys Soccer MVP Tyler Quinn
Rookie of the Year Ketil Eckhardt
Unified Athlete of the Year Noah Van Dewark
Partner of the Year Colter Cannon
Drama Top Male Performer Owen Belle
Drama Top Female Performer Chloe Jorgensen
Drama Newcomer Male Award Liam Hanson
Drama Newcomer Female Award Maddie McKee
Drama Technician Award Nathaniel Davis
Band
Most Outstanding Musician Wyatt Polson
Most Outstanding Jazz Musician Wyatt Polson
Most Outstanding Band Student Wyatt Polson
Most Outstanding Choral Student Paige McLarty
Most Improved Musician Dylan Matwe
Letters
“C”
Aizlee Hindman, Tristan Remus-Arevalo, Ada White, Alyssa Grieve, Brendan Lawrence,
Christian Nwokike, Hailey Dixon, Joelle Anderson, Liam Wong, Mitchell Laing, Owen Corey,
Quinn Thompson, Tristan Derrick, AJ Parker, Braydon Kennedy, Carter Bullock, Ceanna Peterson,
Charlotte Merrifield, Colby Norman, Dale Bratz, Dalton Proskiw-Valee, Faith Thompson, Jadon Currie,
Jason Dempsey, Jonah Morgan, Joshua Bancroft, Josh Weir, Mason Hart, Nigel Gooden,
Quentin Martini, Riley Koppang, Stephen Sample, Yuvraj Nagra, Ami Schaan, Brodie Weber, Cameron Young,
Molly Hope
“B”
Abby Goertzen, Carter Barfuss, Jocelyn Pierce, Alison Barfuss, Jordan Hay, Paxton DeGroot,
Quentin Martini, Tyler Quinn
LOGO
David Moody
Plaque – Athletic Excellence Award
Parent Award
Jon Pierce
Trevor Remus
Dawn Sorsdahl
Joel Bancroft
Grade 9/10 Female Athlete of the Year
Isabella Bailey
Grade 9/10 Male Athlete of the Year
Cameron Young
Grade 11/12 Female Athlete of the Year
Jocelyn Pierce
Grade 11/12 Male Athlete of the Year
David Moody